Drones for business-type environments

Unmannded aerial vehicles/(UVA’s), commonly known as drones, have exploded in popularity over the last decade are being used for all types of developments in corporate businesses. According to a report from the NPD group, drone sales grew 224% from the previous year period to nearly £150 million.

So far, businesses have used drones largely in video and photography, especially for marketing purposes, but there are other applications of UAV technology that might surprise you.

1. Drone delivery services

Drone delivery schemes for some retailers have become a reality. In November 2016, pizza delivery service Domino’s dropped off its first order using a drone in Whangaparaoa, New Zealand. Amazon has also tried out this new method of delivery in December 2016 with the package arriving safely at its destination in Cambridge – 13 minutes after being ordered. The speed of the delivery could encourage consumer trust as well as repeat purchasing and could save companies millions on shipping costs, which in turn would reduce costs for consumers. Of course, with the introduction of automous services, there will be a decline in people within this field of work.

2. Industrial engineering inspections

Drones used for industrial inspections could enable engineers to perform inspections that are often costly and hazardous for humans to perform. This includes difficult access to structures such as bridges, wind turbines, pipelines and cell and TV towers. Engineering firms are a common profession that has applications all over the place. The use of drones and sensors can aid their work in significant ways, increasing efficiency.

The average drone can fly up to speeds of 50mph

3. Commercial security

Commercial security is an area brimming with opportunity for drone capabilities. For example, the creation of Amazon’s first autonomous ‘smart’ store has incorporated the use of drone facilities as a way to monitor customers as they move around the store.

Drones can also assist in detecting other threats to property such as fire and water leaks. Live video footage can be sent to the home/business owner’s mobile device, to a central monitoring facility, or directly to emergency responders in response.

4. Emergency services

Using drones for emergency response services presents new opportunities for life-saving measures. Drones can be used to as extra eyes on a difficult situation, or to deliver medical supplies to stranded victims. This could potentially enchance the ability of emergency response physicians to offer care in difficult situations.

“Drones have been used for a while to get eyes on disaster scenes fast, why not integrate medical intervention as well”

As with most new tech products, competition in the marketplace drives down the price of drones which has rapidly advanced the technology. Affordable drones now exist that include features such as:

4K cameras that can take high-resolution images and video

Built in GPS and autopilot

Bluetooth

Collision avoidance

Terrain tracking (the ability to maintain a consistent height while flying over uneven terrain)

Active tracking

Adjustable speeds

In the next 10 years we may see another rise of leading companies in tech and outside of it investing in drone technology.